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Despite our many needs as we re-tool the lineup for the 2006 season, the Dodgers are not one of the teams prominently mentioned in much of the "hot stove" discussions that are roaming around the web. I don't know if this is because Ned is lulling everyone to sleep, or if we are just considering some of the people off the free agent radar-—but it's fair to say that, at minimum, the Dodgers have needs in starting pitching, middle relief, utility infield (or outright holes at first and third), and center field. So it's surprising to me that the hot stove talk that I've seen really doesn't involve the Dodgers.
MLB Trade Rumors.com has a very thorough list predicting where the top 50 free agents will go, and the Dodgers are only mentioned twice in the top 50 predictions, nabbing #18 Greg Maddux (in a one-year deal) and #30 Juan Pierre. Pierre is an interesting one. Despite his obvious advantage in speed, Pierre doesn't make a ton of sense to me over Lofton offensively, given his .292BA/.330OBP/.388SLG numbers (relative to Lofton's .301/.360/.403). Yes, we'd have a terror on the basepaths in Pierre, who stole 58 bases to Lofton's 32—-but Lofton was caught only five times relative to Pierre's 20 CS. And we already have a leadoff hitter in Furcal (especially if he can perform like his second-half of the season). Pierre earned $5.75M last year, which is almost a 50% premium to Lofton's $3.8M. I agree that we need more coverage defensively in center field, but I don't know if Pierre is the answer.
MLB Trade Rumors also predicted where all of the current Dodger free agents would go. It's got #17 Julio Lugo going to the Red Sox (not fast enough for my tastes), #31 Nomar Garciaparra going to the Angels, #36 Kenny Lofton going to the Rangers, and are you sitting down#41 Eric Gagne going to the Indians. I don't mind losing Lugo and his .219 BA (almost 100 points less than he batted at Tampa Bay prior to coming over to the Dodgers) or Lofton (as mentioned above). However, I'm still considering bringing back Nomar who, despite his injuries, would be a nice insurance play as we use 2007 to watch if Betemit/LaRoche will pan out at third base, Loney will pan out at first, and Kent will get injured washing his truck. I remain convinced that there will be enough opportunity for everyone on the infield to get a fair shot next year (barring a Mueller return, of course). But Gagne going to the Tribe—that would be a sad end of an era that I don't want to consider at this point. It hurts too much to think about it, even if it might be the most prudent fiscal move.


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A year back, a new cafe sprung up in our area. At the time, I didn't really pay much attention to it as I was satisfied with the 2 cafes I already went to each week. But last Christmas morning, I was desperate for a coffee and it being Christmas Day, no cafes were open in our area – except this one.
So I went in that fine Christmas morning, ordered a take away latte and went on with the day's festivities.
The cafe had been bustling, which I put down to it being the only place open. The coffee was great and with it, they gave each customer a free nut slice/biscuit. That made an impression on me.
Here in Australia, many cafes shut down over January as it's our summer holidays and everyone goes to the beach. This new little cafe stayed open so I went in every day, to get my coffee.
During what is a quiet time of year for most cafes, this little cafe was HEAVING with customers.
I would sit at a corner table, working on my laptop (as I am today as I type this). I'd watch the staff work and customers come and go. As I did, I noticed something.
At least half of the customers who came into the cafe were greeted by name, by the staff.
When I first noticed it I thought it was a fluke, or that the staff member I was observing just had a freakishly good memory. But after watching for a few days I realised that it wasn't just one person. All the staff were doing it.
They not remembered names, they remembered orders.
A customer would walk in and the staff member taking the order would loudly say, "Hi Jeff, large soy latte again today?"
Over the next couple of weeks, I watched this happen every day. One day I even kept note of how many names and orders they knew. It hovered around the 50% mark. If they didn't know the customer's name. they would ask and then write it on the cup along with the order. When they handed the person the order, they always looked them in the eye and used their name.
It struck me that while many cafes write the names of their customers on cups, as part of their workflow/organisation, this cafe was different. They went the extra mile and committed the details to memory.
A funny thing happened to me while I saw their watching them personalise their service in this way… in fact two things happened.
- Firstly – I felt like I was in a place that cared. I heard other customers comment on this to each other too "Wow, they know everyones name!"
- Secondly – I wanted them to know my name/order too!
It took me 4 days of going in before they got my name and order committed to memory but boy it felt good when they did. I belonged…. I had been noticed…. I was a 'regular'.
It's no wonder that this little cafe is almost always full (in fact many days I can't work there because there are no tables) and has a line of takeaway customers.
Personalisation is a very powerful thing.
Personalisation on Blogs
Today, I'm sitting here in the cafe watching the power of personalisation in action and I'm pondering how (and if) it could be applied on a blog.
I'm sure there would be many ways and would love to hear some suggestions of how you've seen it done.
One that springs to mind was a practise I did in the early days of my own blogging, quite intuitively, and that was emailing anyone who left a comment on my blog. If I saw a new commenter, I would always answer the comment and then send the commenter an email to thank them and to let them know I'd replied.
This personalised wasn't really scalable after a certain amount of readers (without me becoming a full time community manager instead of a full time blogger) but it had a big impact in the early days of my blogs.
I would get many, many emails back thanking me for doing what I did and I know for a fact that quite a few of those people became regular readers.
How have you tried personalising your blogging to take note of individual readers? I'd love to hear your experiences!!!

subset: commoncrawl


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App Description
Pop Rocket & Bulkypix proudly presents: Pepe's Conchita!
The #1 Game in on Cow Island and abroad!
Hello Friend!
Help Pepe to protect his cow Conchita from the flies!
Pepe is from Mexico. He is taking care of the cow Conchita. Every day he's looking after Conchita. Conchita doesn't belong to Pepe, she belongs to evil Bernardo. Pepe doesn't like Bernardo, but Bernardo is Pepe's boss. Pepe loves Conchita so much, he will never leave her! Flies love Conchita too, but Conchita hates flies!
Pepe has to protect Conchita from the flies. If there are too many flies on Conchita, she's getting angry. And when Conchita is getting angry, evil Bernardo is getting upset. And if evil Bernardo is getting upset.....Pepe is getting fiiiirrrreeeed!
Help Pepe and Conchita now!
What is so special about this game?
+++ Pepe is very nice
+++ He is a very funny guy
+++ Conchita is such a beautiful cow
+++ It is easy to play, but hard to master
+++ Pepe knows a lot and will talk to you... a lot!
+++ Pepe has so many things to say, you can stay in the main menu for hours!
+++ He can even sing famous songs!
+++ The flies are tricky and wear armor...fight it off, my friend!
+++ It is a great fun experience, just try it!
+++ Pepe likes to make siesta!
We looooooooove our Conchita!
App Changes
- October 18, 2012 Initial release


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1-Mattis Justo Quam
1-consectetur. Curabitur blandit tempus porttitor. Praesent commodo cursus magna, vel scelerisque nisl consectetur et. Duis mollis, est non commodo luctus, nisi erat porttitor ligula, eget lacinia odio sem nec elit.
Hanging out with the Cool Kids!
The Peer Mentors at Washington College are a select group of sophomores, juniors and seniors who have undergone a highly competitive vetting process. In fact, fewer than 20 percent of students who apply for a slot actually get one. Their one job used to be to mentor first-year students, to help them adjust to college life. Two years ago, they added another dimension: they began mentoring the children of the local Horizons program, as well.
Horizons is a six-week summer learning program aimed at combating the academic loss that children from low-income families experience during summer break. The Saturday mornings at Washington College (one per semester), give these children a chance to reconnect with their Horizons friends and with "Miss Connie," aka Connie Schroth, the program's academic director. "It keeps Horizons in their lives during the school year," Schroth says of the College play days, which include hands-on academics and physical activities capped off with lunch in the campus dining hall. "So many things in their lives aren't consistent. This keeps Horizons part of what they know and think about."
On the most recent Horizons Play Day, on the first Saturday in November, twenty-six Horizons children from grades 1 through 8, roughly a third of the children from the summer program, came to campus to be with the Peer Mentors. They played kick ball and other games in the Johnson Fitness Center, conducted a science experiment that involved making a "goo brick" out of water and corn starch, and took a class in international studies and cultural differences that required them to design a flag that represented their personal interests (pizza, pets and girls, among them).
"I wanted the Peer Mentors to stretch their mentoring ability with a different audience – an audience that doesn't necessarily take college for granted," says Sarah Feyerherm, interim vice president for student affairs, who worked with Schroth to develop the idea. "This is the kind of role modeling that can really have an impact: I want to go to college. I want to study science. It's also an opportunity for our mentors to realize that college is not a privilege that everyone enjoys or envisions for themselves."
The Peer Mentors design all the activities and give the children their undivided attention all the way through lunch. "Our main purpose as Peer Mentor is to work with our peers, the first-year students," says Sarah Winters '14. "It's a whole different outlook with these little guys. It's so fun to help them. They are so excited by the smallest things."
Zach Stroh, a 12-year-old sixth-grader, took home a better idea of what going to college might be like. "College isn't just about school," he learned. "There are sports programs, the pool, the cafeteria. It's fun!"
Top: Peer Mentor Sarah Winters '14 hangs out with the kids in Hodson Commons. Middle: Nadia, Liberty and Jayden aren't so sure about their cornstarch concoction. Bottom: Brandon Citrano '14 gives Tishay a lift to lunch.


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I'm way too busy today to take time out and write the post that I wanted to write about Obama's inauguration, but I wanted to single out the part of President Obama's inaugural speech – a classy and necessary repudiation of the Bush years, I thought – that I was hoping to hear:
As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
Can we have safety and still respect the rule of law? Yes, we can.


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The USS Oklahoma
Paul A. Goodyear (OHS Collections).
Paul A. Goodyear
Paul Goodyear was born in 1918 in Michigan. He joined the Naval Reserve in September of 1940 and was mustered on board the USS Oklahoma on March 31, 1941. Signalman Third Class Goodyear was still learning his way around both the Navy and the USS Oklahoma when the Japanese Empire attacked Pearl Harbor the morning of December 7, 1941. He was at his duty station on the signal bridge when the first bombs were dropped on the hangar at Ford Island. Over the course of the battle, Signalman Goodyear managed to abandon ship and aid in the defense of the USS Maryland after being rescued from the harbor. After the USS Oklahoma capsized, Signalman Goodyear was reassigned to the USS Indiana until 1943 when he joined the staff of Battleship Division 8. He served there until the end of World War II.
Here are Goodyear's own words, describing his actions after the Oklahoma was hit by Japanese torpedoes:
...I left the signal bridge and went down to the boat deck. And this is again a tribute to my stupidity and ignorance. I got down on the boat deck. I remembered that I was supervisor for the signal bridge and had left the code book there. That code book was as secret as the daily paper. It had ordinary flag codes and was very simple. One of the most ignorant things I did was to go back up to the signal bridge and that code book was about as big as the Kansas City phone book, but it had lead covers on it. I carried that cotton-picking thing down and over the side and finally carried it on the upturned hull and offered it to the Executive Officer, Kenworthy. I was standing on the bottom of the ship and he looked at me like I was the most stupid person in the world for doing that, and I was. He said, 'get rid of that thing,' and threw it over the side."
Herbert Rommel (image courtesy of the William J. Mosher Collection, National Destroyermens Museum).
Herbert Rommel
Herbert Rommel was born in 1915 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He joined the Naval Reserve in 1934 and was commissioned an ensign in 1938. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Ensign Rommel was the Division Officer of the 4th Division, which ran the number three gun turret at the stern of the Oklahoma. Sunday was Ensign Rommel's day off, so he was eating breakfast as the first bombs struck Ford Island. As Ensign Rommel ran to his station, he alerted the ship to the air raid over the loudspeakers. When the Oklahoma began to capsize, Ensign Rommel ordered his crew to abandon the turret. They escaped into the harbor, where Rommel was picked up by a motor boat. He then spent the rest of the morning picking survivors out of the water and taking them to the Solace, a Navy hospital ship.
After the events of December 7, Ensign Rommel was transferred to the USS Gridly, a destroyer. He served on the Gridly for three years, working his way up to Executive Officer, and then commanded the USS Wilkes for the last year of the war. Herbert Rommel served in the Navy until 1969, retiring with the rank of captain from his post as chief of staff of Naval Station Newport in Rhode Island. Captain Rommel passed away in 2007 and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
Here is Captain Rommel's description of the Oklahoma capsizing:
The manhole covers on the blisters had been removed to air them out in preparation for the inspection on Monday and that was the reason the Oklahoma rolled over instead of sunk. As soon as she took the hits on the port side and started to list, as soon as the blisters got underwater, the water just poured in and there was no way the damage control station could have counter flooded the ship to keep her on an even keel. She rolled over in about 10 minutes. Looking back from in the water, it was just like a sail boat [sic] going over, slow, inexorable, nothing you could do about it. Nothing swift or rushing, it just slowly went over.
Walter Staff
Walter Staff was born in 1917 in Magna, Utah. He grew up in Salt Lake City, where he joined the Navy in February of 1940. Later that summer he was assigned to the USS Oklahoma. Staff was a carpenter's mate, second class. On the morning of December 7, he was fixing a chair in the woodworking room when the order for general quarters was sounded. Staff's duty then was to check for water leaks, which is what he was doing when the Oklahoma was struck again by torpedoes and began to list. He was trapped in the Oklahoma as the boat capsized. He stayed in the hull of the Oklahoma for two days, until he was rescued on Tuesday, December 9. Staff was one of the thirty-two sailors rescued from the Oklahoma. After the attack, he was assigned to the USS Medusa, a repair ship. Walter Staff passed away in Utah in 1997 and is buried in the Utah Veterans Memorial Park.
Walter Staff (OHS Collections),
Here is Walter Staff's account of being rescued with his friend, Centers, from the Oklahoma:
"It took them about an hour to cut through the double bottoms [of the hull]. They just couldn't cut wildly in there because there was fuel oil and ammunition...they drilled a hole first, they had tapered plugs used in test holes. We were under quite a bit of water pressure down there, you could hear the air going out and this shot of light came down from above and I watched the water coming up and I watched that hole. That hole allowed the water to come in as the air pressure went out...the rescue team left because they were afraid of being flooded. That was the worst feeling because we were that close and they left...there was a linen room and I told Centers that if we could get in the linen room it would be dry. We were in water and fuel oil, so I beat the lock off...so we got in this linen room and dogged the door down so we were in a compartment that was not going to be flooded...there was a manhole and they didn't have to cut through. They said stand clear because the hatch was going to drop from overhead. They beat the dogs off and the hatch came down.


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Annieglass Slumped Glassware
The trademark look comes from Annieglass's uniquely developed glass bending technique. A sheet of flat glass is melted over a ceramic mold and fired at temperatures as high as 1350F, so that precious metals (24-karat gold or platinum) become permanently fused to the glass. The result delivers not only a special translucent textured finish but also remarkable durability: the glass is tarnish- and chip-resistant as well as dishwasher safe. The effect created by this method varies from organic shapes reminiscent of ever-changing nature to clean, contemporary lines, as well as classic, rich metallic accents.
Now you can share Annie's love of sparkling, captivating glass in your home with this extensive collection of Annieglass, and we know you will become inspired by it as well.


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DreamWorks advertised the film Gladiator with the tagline "A Hero Shall Rise." Though director Mel Gibson and distributor Newmarket Films hardly need any help in advertising The Passion of the Christ, this bit of movie propaganda popped right back into my head as I watched the final moments of Gibson's film. With John Debney's score turning rather abruptly from choir-washed melancholy to a militaristic drum roll, a grimly determined Jesus (naked, with gaping stigmata) rises up and out of the static frame. Roll credits. More than spiritual awe, this oddly orchestrated moment seems to imply that the Christ is not only back, but with a vengeance (boy, the Sanhedrin is really going to get it! Jesus Christ will return in "The Passion of the Christ 2: Zombie Avenger") more than it reaffirms the divinity of the obviously superhuman martyr. Or maybe I'm reading too much into Gibson's stylistic dialect. Like most Jesus films, The Passion of the Christ adheres to the popular tastes of its time; since this is an era of color-corrected, 5.1-surround-sound, pseudo-spiritual action epics, Gibson zealously tells his tale in action-movie language. When in Rome...
As you no doubt already know, The Passion of the Christ, with a minimum of greater context mostly accomplished through shuffle-play flashbacks, focuses on the last twelve hours of Jesus's life. Jesus is arrested, beaten to within an inch of his mortal life, tried, dragged around, beaten more, sentenced to death, dragged around more, beaten more, crucified, and as aforementioned, rises again. Along the way, Gibson efficiently dispatches with familiar details (here a thrice-denial by Peter, there a pitstop with Herod) to focus on man's unholy judgment of the Messiah and the unrelentingly brutal punishment inflicted on him.
As Jesus, Jim Caviezel (The Count of Monte Cristo, Frequency) admirably immerses himself, with method fervor, in the suffering which is the film's principal content and theme. Jesus's body is hideously scored, flayed, and impaled, and Gibson spares no post-production overtime in making the blood gush, pool, drip, and fly, frequently audibly and in slo-mo. Certainly, Christ's suffering should not be sugar-coated; in fact, the inherent violence of it should be emphasized. But a little gore goes a long way, and Gibson's approach needlessly overemphasizes the violence. As a child, the contemporary Jesus films I watched (particularly John Krish & Peter Sykes's Jesus) left an indelible enough impression of the horror of crucifixion; a child seeing The Passion of the Christ would likely think of nothing else for weeks, or perhaps years, which I suppose makes it the most potent Christian recruitment film ever made.
And yet The Passion of the Christ deemphasizes Jesus's teachings. Though the soundbites we get are incisive, they vary in effect. When Jesus tells his mother Mary (Maia Morgenstern), "See, mother, I make all things new," the line serves narratively as foreshadowing, theologically as an expression of salvation, and dramatically as an achingly personal moment. If the whole film could have struck such a balance, even non-believers could wholly appreciate the film as a movingly dramatic construct; as it is, Gibson's film feels like going to the theatre to watch a severely trimmed Hamlet which throws in the most famous lines but plays out only the last scene's balletic orgy of violence.
No review of The Passion of the Christ would be complete without addressing the question of anti-Semitism. The truth is in the eye of the beholder, and Gibson's critics aren't entirely wrong to raise the point. The line deemed most offensive by preview audiences--"His blood be on us, and on our children"--has been downplayed by, at least, removing the accompanying subtitle. I would argue that that line, though potentially inflammatory, is more equivocal than one which remains, one of the few lines Gibson uses to represent Christ's teachings: "...no one goes to the Father but by me." By omission of so much other theology, the line stands out as a thrown gauntlet from the Traditionalist Gibson: you're either with us or without us. But let's face it: this is not so much a film as a religious film; did anyone think it wouldn't take a stand on the one true faith?
Gibson etches Jewish high priest Caiphas (Mattia Sbragia) in darkly sinister shorthand while elaborating on the moral dilemma of Roman governor Pontius Pilate (Hristo Naumov Shopov); Gibson also depicts Jesus letting Pilate off the hook ("...it is he who has delivered me to you who has the greater sin"). Though long-standing traditions in the telling of the story, these choices imply a greater ultimate responsibility for Jesus's death lies with the priests and the bloodthirsty Jewish "rabble." But if such historicity is dubious, Gibson also elaborates on Jesus's torture at the hands of gleeful Roman soldiers and, in what may be the film's most purely effective dramatic episode, tenderly depicts the sympathetic gestures of Simon of Cyrene (a spot-on Jarreth Merz), who is clearly identified as a Jew.
Gibson pauses to recall the simpatico relationship of Jesus and Mary Magdalen (a deglamourized Monica Bellucci), as well as the downward slope of the character arc of Judas, played by Luca Lionello. In the latter case, Gibson again overplays his hand, this time with a horror-movie aesthetic. The children who torment Judas, as well as a baby later cradled by the androgynous Satan (Rosalinda Celentano), are revealed to be feral, milky-eyed, devilish perversions of nature. Other than the flashes of Satan, Gibson's most prominent stylistic flourish is the single, computer-generated drop of rain (the tear of God?) which accompanies the Christ's passing. The terrific cinematographer Caleb Deschanel does fine work, from the blue-bathed opening in the Garden of Gethsemane to the bitter end, and dead language fans, who may turn out to be the film's primary secular audience, will enjoy the film's commitment to subtitled Aramaic and "street" Latin.
Cynics might see Passion, heavily marketed to the media and the public, as a sure-fire return on an investment (Jesus suffered for your sins; you could at least watch his movie!), but Gibson's film seems as sufficiently sincere as it is dramatically incongruous. Repeatedly, the film asks the question "Do you really believe that one man can bear the full burden of sin?" but the film began with the answer, on a plain black title card: "...by his wounds we are healed." Clearly, no audience is in this for the suspense. The Passion of the Christ works best as a piece of Roman Catholic art, a "stations of the Cross" with human models and painted in light, a series of Passion-play tableaux for those "in the know." This guaranteed blockbuster is for the faithful, who are faithfully weeping and sharply catching their breath in theatres around the country.
The Passion of the Christ debuts on Blu-ray in a "Definitive Edition" that includes the original theatrical version as well as the "edited for graphic depictions" version "Passion Recut" (4:41 shorter, blotting the bloodiness a bit). The picture quality is spectacular in this hi-def upgrade: colors are rich and true, detail is excellent, and the image lacks any digital noise. Every nuance of the soundscape is preserved in a mighty impressive DTS-HD Lossless Master Audio 5.1 mix.
This two-disc set is loaded up with bonus features, including no less than five commentaries: commentary for the visually impaired, commentary with director/producer/co-screenwriter Mel Gibson, cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and editor John Wright, production commentary by producer Stephen McEveety, visual effects supervisor/second unit director Ted Rae and special make-up and visual efects designer Keith Vanderlaan, theological commentary by Gibson, language consultant and Aramaic/Latin translator Father William Fulco and theologians Gerry Matatics and Father John Bartunek, and a music commentary by composer John Debney (selected scenes). Disc one also includes a Footnotes trivia track that's optional during playback.
Disc Two, which is a standard definition DVD, houses the rest of the bonus features, beginning with the definitive documentary "By His Wounds, We Are Healed: Making The Passion of the Christ" (1:40:22). The doc covers script development, the use of ancient languages, locations, design, casting, Gibson's direction, Deschanel's photography, makeup and visual effects, post-production, marketing, and the film's meaning to the filmmakers; we also get to see Gibson on set in a Patch Adams nose (in the chapter called "Breaking the Tension"). Interviewees include Gibson, producer Bruce Davey, McEveety, screenwriter Benedict Fitzgerald, Fulco, Deschanel, casting director Shaila Rubin, Maia Morgenstern, Jim Caviezel, costume designer Maurizio Millenotti, Monica Bellucci, makeup prosthetics Christien Tinsley, Vanderlaan, Rae, Wright, Debney, lyricist Lisbeth Scott, supervising sound editor Sean McCormack, supervising sound editor Kami Asgar, supervising sound mixer Kevin O'Connell, sound designer Matt Temple, foley artists Vincent Guisetti & Pamela Nedd Kahn, ADR supervisor Renee Tondelli, dialogue mixer Scott Millan, effects mixer Bob Beemer, foley mixer Kyle Rochlin, Paul Lauer of Motive Entertainment, Bob Berney of New Market Films, and A. Larry Ross of Ross Communications.
"Below the Line Panel Discussion" (13:51) is a post-screening Q&A featuring Deschanel, Wright, Debney, Vanderlaan, Rae, McCormack, Asgar, and O'Connell.
Deleted Scenes are "Pilate" (2:08) and "Don't Cry" (2:25).
"Through the Ages" (11:58) gives some historical context to the intersection of religion and art. Participants include IMAGE Journal editor Greg Wolfe, icon painter Alfonse Boryscwicz, and authors Wayne Forte and Mitchell Merback.
"Paths of a Journey" (9:24) is a guided tour of the path of the Stations of the Cross.
"On Language" (12:46) delves into the ancient languages heard in the film.
"Crucifixion: Punishment in the Ancient World" (17:28) allows crucifixion historian Dr. David Terasaka, Excavating Jesus author Dr. Jonathan L. Reed, and The Crucifixion of Jesus author Dr. Frederick T. Zugibe to discuss the history of crucifixions.
"Anno Domini" (10:04) expounds upon the place of Jesus' disciples.
Galleries include Production Art, with "Costume and Set Design" (30 images), "Technical Drawings" (15), and "Storyboards" (78 across four scenes). Historical Texts presents 142 Biblical images. Art Images breaks down into 14 "Stations" (151 images). Characters and Their Actors serves up biographies for James Caviezel, Maia Morgenstern, Monica Bellucci, Mattia Sbragia, Hristo Naumov Shopov, Claudia Gerini, Luca Lionello, Jarreth Merz, Francesco De Vito, Rosalinda Celentano, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Hristo Jivkov. Unit Photography provides 33 production stills.
Last up are "Theatrical Trailer G," "Theatrical Trailer R" and two TV Spots. No one will be arguing this isn't a definitive edition of The Passion of the Christ, so fans can proceed with confidence.
Review gear: |
Panasonic Viera TC-P55VT30 55" Plasma 1080p 3D HDTV
Oppo BDP-93 Universal Network 3D Blu-ray Disc Player
Denon AVR2112CI Integrated Network A/V Surround Receiver
Pioneer SP-BS41-LR Bookshelf Speaker (2)
Pioneer SP-C21 Center Speaker
Pioneer SW-8 Subwoofer


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(visited by Leon Wende and Sarah-Jane)
02-Aug-2009 -- This confluence point was visited while we were on holiday, travelling from Perth to Cairns then back to Perth via the Gulf and the Kimberley.
Four visits were planned for this trip: 12°S 143°E, 18°S 140°E, 17°S 129°E and 17°S 138°E.
This confluence point is on Wernadinga Station and prior to leaving Perth I had contacted the manager of the station and received his permission to traverse his property and visit the point.
On the day of the visit we arrived at Wernadinga and spoke to the manager, Mr Mark Restall, confirming our intentions and receiving advice from him as to the best route to take to execute the visit. The confluence point is some 15km from the homestead and Mark agreed to accompany us in our vehicle. This was helpful because he knew the best way to reach the point.
The visit was straightforward and we managed to drive along some old and overgrown tracks to within 80m of the point. Visiting this point was doubly rewarding because our previous attempt at a confluence visit (to 12°S 143°E) a few days earlier had been aborted.
Sarah-Jane and I are grateful to Mark, who also allowed us to camp that night at Alexandra Falls, a beautiful camping spot featuring a large rock pool which is on Wernadinga property and therefore not accessible to the general public. When we arrived at the pool we spotted a crocodile basking peacefully - a lovely sight which nicely capped off a successful day.


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What the future without passwords could look like
The brains at Google are experimenting with new authentication technologies.
The end of the password is near. The brains at Google are experimenting with new authentication technologies for email, but it's not just our email that needs saving. Passwords everywhere don't work. The most optimistic thinking goes that with every new massive account info hack, companies will start adopting better technologies for protecting our user data, until one day the password is as much a relic as the floppy disk. For a look into what will come next, The Atlantic Wire spoke with security experts and analysts and the future without passwords involves a lot more passwords than we expected.
It Will Still Involve Passwords...
Despite Mat Honan's strong assertion in Wired last year that "the age of the password has come to an end," pretty much everyone we spoke with doubted that the password would disappear forever. The password will live. It just won't be the only means of security. "Most people will move away from relying on passwords as the only means of authentication," said Jeremy Grant, who heads The National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace, a government organization working to advance the password ecosystem beyond passwords.
Rather, in the future, the password will be part of the security "constellation," as Forrester analyst Eve Maler put it. For the most important gateways to our lives, like email accounts, Google's 2-step authentication, which The Atlantic's James Fallows is a vocal proponent, combines a password and an ever-changing code sent via-text. The second aspect might look an awful lot like a password—Google texts a string of characters, for example. Or it might entail something more personalized, depending on the type of information we're trying to protect. But the password will still be in the mix.
While hacks loom, any extra steps means more of a burden for the user. Yes, having to go upstairs to get your phone is more annoying than remember 25 passwords. That hassle will never be worth it for certains things. Also, because of that perceived annoyance, it might take awhile for the multi-step thing to catch on, unless companies mandate it.
Read more at The Atlantic Wire.
(Image via Pedro Miguel Sousa/Shutterstock.com)


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Eddie Murphy -- 'Purported African American' Sued For $50 MILLION ...
Eddie Murphy 'Purported African American' Sued for $50 Million
Eddie Murphy does NOT own the name Murphy ... and an indignant comedian -- Brando Murphy -- is determined to prove that point with a new $50 MILLION defamation lawsuit.
Brando claims Eddie is hell-bent on destroying his career, which Brando thinks is rooted in absurd vanity.
It looks like Brando is trying out new material in his lawsuit, saying, "The name Murphy is of Irish decent ... and not exclusive to Eddie Murphy, a 'Black Man' of African Ancestry and a purported African American."
As for Eddie's grumblings that Brando tries to look and act like him, Brando fires back, "[i] did not create [myself] and that the way [I] looks is an act of GOD."
Brando says he never tried to pass himself as Eddie's son. He does not address the fact that he appeared in the stage act, Sons of Comedy, which also featured Richard Pryor's son.
BTW ... Brando also claims one of Eddie's people threatened to have him killed.
For his troubles ... Brando wants a modest $50 mil.
Eddie's lawyer, Marty Singer, tells TMZ ... "This is an absolutely ridiculous lawsuit, and we are confident it will be immediately dismissed by the court."


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Princess Bride Day
Two election-related Princess Bride posts in one day.
From Vodkapundit - "Incomceiveable"
From Asymmetrical Infromation - "Iocane powder"
I think the Princess Bride is one of the 10 most quotable movies of all time, at least for guys (Caddyshack being #1). So here is my Princess Bride reference for the election:
Rove (election night, 7PM EST): I admit it, Kerry is leading us in the exit polls
McAuliff: Then why are you smiling?
Rove: Because I know something you don't know.
McAuliff: And what is that?
Rove: I... am not left-handed.
Jane Galt & Co. have their servers down at Asymmetrical Information. Here's hoping they are back soon.


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Witherspoon pays $213 fine as arrest video goes public
ATLANTA (CNN) -- Reese Witherspoon's legal trouble over a spat with a Georgia state trooper has been settled with a fine, though a newly released video of the arrest -- with lines such as "you better not arrest me; are you kidding me?" -- is giving it fresh attention.
The Oscar-winning actress, accused of interfering with the drunken driving arrest of her husband last month in Atlanta, pleaded no contest Thursday to a charge of physical obstruction of another and has paid a $213 fine, according to Municipal Court of Atlanta Administrator Christopher Patterson.
Her husband, James Toth, pleaded guilty Thursday to a charge of driving under the influence and has been placed on 12 months of probation, Patterson said. Their pleas were entered in the Atlanta court by the couple's attorneys.
Terms of Toth's probation weren't immediately available. Patterson said the pleas resolve both cases.
The pleas came on the day that TMZ.com posted part of a video from a police dashboard camera showing Witherspoon arguing with the trooper who was arresting the recouple. CNN later obtained the video from the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
Witherspoon -- who was in Atlanta working on a movie called "The Good Lie" -- and Toth were arrested on April 19 when a Georgia state trooper stopped Toth after seeing him weave in and out of a lane as he drove, police said.
The video shows the trooper, while testing Toth for DUI for more than 10 minutes, asking Witherspoon several times to stay in the car. Early in the process, she said: "I'm pregnant and I need to use the (restroom)."
"I need you to get back in the car, and there ain't no way to use it out here," the trooper responds. "If I tell you again, I'm going to arrest you."
Later, the video shows that the trooper, while giving Toth a breath test, breaks away to address Witherspoon again: "Ma'am, sit on your butt and be quiet."
It's unclear on the video what was said next, though the trooper wrote in a police report that Witherspoon at one point began to "hang out the window and say that she did not believe that I was a real police officer."
Then, as the trooper begins to arrest Toth, the video shows, Witherspoon approaches them.
"Ma'am, what did I just tell you to do?" the trooper asks in the video.
"I am a U.S. citizen. I am allowed to stand on American ground and ask any question I want to ask," Witherspoon says.
The trooper then handcuffs her as Toth tries to calm her.
"You better not arrest me. Are you kidding me?" Witherspoon says. "I'm an American citizen. This is beyond. ... You're harassing me as an American citizen. I have done nothing against the law. ... I have to obey your orders? No sir, I do not."
Witherspoon continues, "Do you know my name, sir? ... You're about to find out who I am."
A breath test on Toth registered 0.139, above the legal limit of 0.08 for a driving under the influence charge, the report said.
After canceling TV appearances following her arrest, the 37-year-old actress told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Thursday that she was sorry and that she was "so disrespectful" to the officer.
"We went out to dinner in Atlanta, and we had one too many glasses of wine, and we thought we were fine to drive and we absolutely were not," she said. "It's completely unacceptable, and we are so sorry and embarrassed. We know better, and we shouldn't have done that."
Witherspoon said that despite what she told the trooper, she's not pregnant.
"I said crazy things. ... I had no idea what I was talking about," she told "Good Morning America's" George Stephanopolous.
"When a police officer tells you to stay in the car, you stay in the car. I learned that for sure," she told Stephanopolous, laughing. "I think I've played a lawyer in a movie so many times I think I am a lawyer, and clearly I'm not a lawyer, because I got arrested. So yeah, I learned a lot."
Witherspoon won the best actress Oscar for the 2005 movie "Walk the Line."


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A coalition of environmental protesters last week targeted Shell – a corporation engaged in the world's "most destructive project" – for co-opting one of the world's most prestigious universities.
The Shell Geo-Science Laboratory at Oxford University was opened Thursday by British Secretary of State for Energy and Climate, Ed Davey; joined by Alison Goligher, who is responsible for unconventional oils at Shell; and Andrew Hamiliton, Oxford's vice chancellor. Danny Chivers, a campaigner from [UK Tar Sands Network], explained how the ceremony was shrouded in secrecy and the group was tipped off about it just before the event.
Within the small time-frame to respond, Chivers explained how around 40 protestors gathered outside, staging a mock 2018 closing ceremony. In this, the Energy Secretary, since ousted from office, explained how it was a terrible partnership while a campaigner playing the Shell representative grovelled apologetically to his Shell shareholders about how the Carbon Bubble had bust and all their assets had been liquidated.
Another protestor dressed as a polar bear received apologies from the speakers, in a crowd that included Brenda Boardman, a senior environmental academic from the university alongside a student health organization. Chivers described the lack of logic or fairness that Shell, on the one hand, receives massive tax breaks from the government, while paying a pittance in return to sponsor education and the arts that greenwashes its image.
In another impromptu direct action later in the day, UK Tar Sands Network supporters interrupted a lavish meal held to celebrate the launch of the lab. Walking into the room, the campaigners announced to the audience, which included senior recruitment officers for Shell, what the company's impact to the planet meant while they enjoyed fine food and wine.
In additional support, an open letter from 100 past and present students asserted how the oil giant is a "particularly inappropriate choice of funder for an earth sciences laboratory." It highlighted how the partnership creates a direct challenge to the scientific integrity of the University, which stands directly in conflict with the corporation's desire to extract oil.
"Oxford's own climate scientists are warning us that we need to leave the majority of known fossil fuels in the ground, and yet this new partnership will undertake research that will help Shell to find and extract even more hydrocarbons," the letter said. The partnership is reported to also give Shell an oversight role on PhD students' studies.
The broad coalition involved in the ceremony protest included Occupy London's Energy, Equity & Environment (EEE) working group,Greenpeace, UK Tar Sands Network and the student network People and Planet. They asserted how Shell tarnishes Oxford's reputation and pointed out a long list of corporate crimes.
For one, the United Nations has found the company guilty of devastating the lands of the Ogoni people of Nigeria, with oil spills that will take decades to clean up. The Dutch-British company is also accused of destroying vast swathes of land in Canada through its extraction of tar sands, for which the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation are fighting them in court.
The global destruction carried out by Shell – the world's seventh largest oil producer – can be mapped from the Arctic, where it plans to intensify oil extraction despite recent disasters like the grounding of its drill rig, to 200 miles south of New Orleans where it plans to build a deepwater offshore oil well in the Gulf, akin to the one that caused the BP disaster. Meanwhile Shell is aiming to become a key player in fracking.
The opening of the laboratory in Oxford is only the latest example of Shell's efforts to greenwash its dire impacts and expand its misinformation campaign. The company intensively lobbies governments, perhaps most notably in Britain. From freedom of information requests, Corporate Watch discovered how Shell pressured the British government – via business secretary Vince Cable – to vote against the European Fuel Directive because it would ban tar sands sales in Europe. Cable is a former Shell employee and they knew him as the "Minister for Shell."
The partnership with Oxford serves to further boost Shell in its efforts to misinform the public about climate change and the role the fossil fuel industry plays in exacerbating it. It seems to have come at a cheap cost, too: only £5.9 million, a drop of oil in the ocean for Shell. Graver still, not only will the corporation attempt to legitimize its ecological destruction through its connections with the Oxford lab, but the deal means the university will be actively looking at new ways of expanding non conventional oils like tar sands and gas produced by fracking.
The Big Oil agenda in British education is not confined to Shell or universities. Research published on London's Occupy News Network shows how BP has created an extensive range of school lessons driven into Britain's classrooms through its educational sponsorship and widening partnerships with schools. These portray the oil giant as forward thinking and ecologically responsible, which is fully contradicted by its activities.
In broader terms, the tightening links between education and corporations are squeezing out the ideals within learning institutions, suggesting that education is about learning what businesses wants you to think. Even as an elite university, with its enormous fees that bar many from attending, Oxford is known as a place of academic rigor and a symbol of free-minded education that has inspired great thinkers through the ages. But the dirty oil takeover of Oxford now begs the question: would Britain's post-War Prime Minister Clement Atlee have been inspired to push through universal healthcare if his History department were directed by industrialists?
Aung San Suu Kyi, the human rights activist from Burma, has reflected on the ways Oxford gave her strength and confidence in humankind. Likewise, the influential militant suffragette Emily Davison was one of this university's graduates. Would these historic figures have been attracted to Oxford if it had sponsors engaged in human rights abuses? Free education – free of cost and free of corporate pollution – is a vital battleground for those who want to engender a world free of the destruction wrought by companies like Shell.
Source Article from http://www.nationofchange.org/new-shell-oil-laboratory-oxford-meets-resistance-1368713028


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The new Honda Pilot rolls into the 2016 model year with a pricing spectrum that spans five trim levels and $16,425 from one end to the other, each step up tempting the prospective buyer with more goodies, right up to the fully loaded Elite model.
The big Honda clearly is aimed at folks whose motoring agendas include lots of hauling. It can tow—up to 5000 pounds with all-wheel drive, 3500 with front-drive. But more often than not, the payloads entail kids. We probably don't really need to add that even though minivans are superior in almost all aspects of family hauling, Pilot prospects would rather donate their kids to science than be seen in something with those telltale sliding side doors.
There's irony in this vehicular phobia, since the Pilot is a close cousin of Honda's Odyssey minivan, structurally speaking. But image rules in this realm, and image is rarely rooted in rationality. Speaking of image, there are some within our walls who prefer the blockier looks of the previous generation to the slicker styling of the new. But slick is where the entire crossover segment is headed.
Our first test of the generation-three Pilot involved an Elite model, which includes everything in the vehicle's extensive inventory of features. This time, we're looking at one of the less expensive versions. If you draw your budgetary line at a Pilot EX, what do you get? What do you forego? Is there a performance sacrifice? And what do you save?
Let's start with performance. All Pilots are propelled by the same engine, a 3.5-liter V-6 rated for 280 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque. That displacement is familiar—the previous Pilot powerplant also was a 3.5 V-6—but the new engine essentially is the same as that used by the Acura MDX, and direct fuel injection gives it a 30-hp edge over its predecessor. This in a vehicle that's substantially lighter, by as much as nearly 300 pounds, according to Honda. It's also substantially quicker off the line.
What you don't get with the lower trim levels—LX, EX, and EX-L—is the slick new nine-speed automatic transmission that comes with the Touring and Elite models. The LX, EX, and EX-L are equipped with a six-speed automatic. That's one cog more than the previous Pilot, but the nine-speed does a better job of keeping the engine in the sweet spot of its power band. And it includes shift paddles, which aren't part of the deal with the six-speed.
At the track, this front-drive EX model clocked a zero-to-60-mph time of 6.2 seconds, a whisker behind the all-wheel-drive Elite, even though the EX weighed 254 pounds less. (Blame the powerful V-6's eagerness to spin the front tires during aggressive launches.) But all things being equal under the hood, the EX's advantage in power-to-weight shows up as the drag race continues: It was a second quicker to 100 mph. Not that many owners are likely to push their Pilot to triple-digit speeds. But for those so inclined, we can report that the Pilot inspires confidence as speeds climb, right up to the governor-limited 112-mph top speed.
There's confidence around bends, too. The new chassis is stiffer than its predecessor, spring rates are higher, and shock-absorber damping is firmer than that of the previous generation. This doesn't make the Pilot a sports car; pushing hard in a set of switchbacks will still provoke moderate rock and roll, as well as abundant understeer. But as with exploring the Pilot's top speed, the likelihood of owners testing its limits of adhesion is slight, particularly with kids onboard. And doubly so for those with kids prone to motion sickness.
Athough the steering could be quicker (3.2 turns lock-to-lock) and more informative at around-town speeds, the Pilot's responses in emergency maneuvers are respectable by the standards for this class. Those maneuvers might not be quite as prompt in the lesser trim levels, a distinction we attribute to tires. Touring and Elite Pilots wear 245/50 tires on 20-inch wheels, whereas our EX test example was equipped with 245/60-18 tires. The setup produced a softer ride, at the expense of grip (0.75 g versus the Elite's 0.80). Braking distances were almost identical for both vehicles and about average among three-row crossovers. This is not to say good. Let's call it adequate.
As noted in our test of the Elite model, the new Pilot is bigger than its predecessor, dimensional increases that translate directly to the interior. There's even enough room in the third row for a couple of adults to perch without too much whining, although getting three people of any size to ride back there for more than a few miles is likely to provoke civil war. (In the Elite trim level, second-row seating is a pair of captain's chairs, reducing the potential passenger count to seven.) Nonetheless, this is a distinctly more comfortable Pilot generation, its increased roominess augmented by more soft-touch surfaces and a much more attractive dashboard layout.
Although the cabin's appearance has been improved, we can't say the same for its function, owing to Honda's relentless commitment to a touch screen for all secondary controls, great and small. Adjusting audio volume or changing stations in a moving Pilot, for example, is a hunt-and-peck challenge, no matter how smooth the ride quality. At least the Pilot is exceptionally quiet at all speeds—parental units won't have to raise their voices much to yell at their kids. EPA ratings for the front-wheel-drive Pilot are 19 mpg city and 27 mpg highway, up 1 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway from the previous model. (Ratings are 1 mpg higher in the city with the nine-speed and 1 mpg lower all around with AWD.) We managed to beat the EX's city rating, logging 20 mpg overall.
As noted, there are essentially five trim levels. But typical of Honda, the five are subdivided according to particular items of equipment. Thus, there are four different versions of the EX: 2WD and 4WD, with or without Honda Sensing (a package of collision-avoidance tech). There are no options or option packages. Each sub-category is treated as a separate model. At $34,330, our two-wheel-drive EX with Sensing was four rungs above the bottom of the Pilot pricing ladder, which begins with the two-wheel-drive LX at $30,895.
Honda Sensing includes automatic emergency braking, which will track the Pilot's closing rate on traffic ahead (via camera and radar), decide whether the driver is paying attention, flash a warning, and apply the brakes if/when the driver fails to respond. It also includes adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and road-departure mitigation. The last two include system intervention to nudge the vehicle back to the middle of the road when it even thinks the Pilot is approaching an edge line. Its warning is a steering-wheel shudder that feels as though something might be coming undone in the front suspension—and is particularly annoying on two-lane back roads. The whole Sensing package adds a grand to the bottom line.
All-wheel drive, which is standard with the Elite, adds $1800. It's available on all trim levels. Other fancy Elite standard features that are absent in the EX trim level: LED headlights, a panoramic power sunroof, an 8.0-inch touch screen with navigation and voice recognition, heated and ventilated leather power seats, a 540-watt 10-speaker premium audio system, a second-row DVD entertainment system, second-row heated leather captain's chairs, and a power rear liftgate.
The EX isn't exactly stark, with a standard features inventory that includes the 8.0-inch touch screen (minus navigation), seven-speaker audio with HondaLink infotainment, Pandora interface, fog lights, Honda's passenger-side Lane Watch camera, remote engine start, and, in this test unit, the Honda Sensing package. So as always, it gets to be a question of what a prospective buyer considers essential in a family vehicle. Can you and your family be happy without a giant sunroof or navigation? Obviously, that one's your call.


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In regards to Mario Reading decipher of Nostradamuss prediction of when a massive meteor will hit the earth. I have researched this and believe he may have got the date wrong. If you read my theory on parallel universe.
Nostradamus was more likely viewing alternate realities in an alert state and would of missed the small difference between this reality and one very similar to our own. Since time is not linear and each universe runs at different time scales, he would of thought he was seeing the future..when in fact he was simply perceiving an alternate universe that ran parallel to our own with a time scale that was slightly different than ours. Nostradamus in the 1500's wouldn't have any concept of parallel universes and he would easily mistaken what he saw as the future to come.
A perfect example of this is Mario Reading deciphered one of his predictions stating he believes Hillary is going to win the election. He got it wrong, and the reason why he did is because the quatrains Nostradamus wrote were of a parallel reality where the time scale was different from this universe.
Mario Reading has predicted the following quatrain will occur in 2069. He didnt account for the difference in time scale. I will break down my alternate time scale and why I believe he could be incorrect.
La grand montagne ronde de sept estades,
Apres paix, guerre, faim, inondation,
Roulera loing, abysmant grand contrades,
Mesmes antigues, & grand fondation.
The great mountain encompasses seven stadia
After peace, war, famine, flooding
Shall spread far, sinking many countries
Even the ancient landscapes to their foundations.
Seven stadia equals 4247 feet, however, seven here simply means great many stadia or great many feet wide. Anyway, a comet with a great circumference of several miles will fall into the earth. The words spread and sink indicates that this comet will land in the sea, Mediterranean or Atlantic, wiping out many coastal areas and many nations. And you see later in one quatrain which indicates that Greece shall cease to exist due to great flood. The ancient landscapes might be Egyptian pyramids. The chronological order was actually written in reverse. First will be flooding, famine, then war, peace, and finally comet or asteroid striking the earth. After WW III ends around 2026 AD, an asteroid or comet shall arrive colliding with the earth.
Now its safe to say there is no way someone from the 1500s could of known what an asteroid was or would be able describe an asteroid impact. Yet here it is. My theory on parallel universe explains how this might be possible.
Here is the part Mario missed.
According to Mario he believes the meteor hits in 2069, but this is the time line in other universe nostradamus viewed, and mistook it for the future events of our universe. It could happen much sooner here or much later. Nostradamus gave us a clue. The name of the asteroid which again he couldnt of known this as the knowledge of this at that time would be impossible.
The Clue of which asteroid will impact in the other timeline very similar to ours is:
Le diuin verbe Sera du ciel frappe
Qui ne pourra proceder plus auant
Du reSerant le Secret eStoupe
Qu'on marchera par deSSus et deuant
The divine word will be struck from the sky,
One who cannot proceed any further:
The secret closed up with the revelation,
Such that they will march over and ahead.
The reference "du ciel frappe" - From it emerges Lucifer-Apep (ucielfr appe) as an adjacent set of anagrams that directs our attention to the celestial body Apophis in its manifestations as asteroids, meteorites or comets and as fire from the sky.
Apep, Aapep, Apepi(Egyptian) or Apophis(Coptic Greek) was an evil god in Egyptian mythology ,the deification of darkness and chaos and thus the opponent of light and order/truth, whose existence was believed in from the 8th dynasty onwards.
Now the name that seems to pop out is Apophis. Now if you go look at NASA data on current asteroids that are of particular interest that could cause extinction level devastation on earth.
https://www.geek.com/news/asteroid-w...anche-1608037/ /asteroid-impact-earth-nasa-apophis
There the estimated time for Apophis to reach earth is 2029 and again in 2036. Given the translation its much sooner than 2069 as Mario Reading predicts.
Think about it... all of a sudden several private organizations including NASA are trying to get Mars colonized when we havent even put people on the moon in 50 years. Elon musk said he wants to put 1 million people on mars by 2030 or something to that affect.
If you knew there was a meteor coming for earth soon. You wouldnt tell the public. You would be preparing to save the human race. Colonize mars, let earth die and come back and rebuild better than before.


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Book Review: Chasing Chiles
It is not often that ILIS will get an opportunity to be asked to do a book review. So we are delighted to do it, and hope we can do the review as much justice as our usual spicy product reviews. A little about the book, Chasing Chiles: Hot Spots Along the Pepper Trail and it's Authors' Kurt Friese, Kraig Kraft, and Gray Nabhan:
Chasing Chiles looks at both the future of place-based foods and the effects of climate change on agriculture through the lens of the chile pepper—from the farmers who cultivate this iconic crop to the cuisines and cultural traditions in which peppers play a huge role.
Chef Kurt Michael Friese is author of A Cook's Journey: Slow Food in the Heartland (Ice Cube, 2008), and owner and founding chef of Devotay, a restaurant in Iowa City that is a community leader in local and sustainable cuisine. He is owner and publisher of Edible Iowa River Valley magazine, a board of directors member for Slow Food USA and the Iowa Food Systems Council, and a graduate and former chef-instructor at the New England Culinary Institute.
Kraig Kraft is an agroecologist and writer based in Managua, Nicaragua. He completed his PhD on the origins and diversity of wild and domesticated chile peppers at the University of California, Davis. Kraft is the author of a popular blog titled Chasing Chiles, and has written for several regional magazines, including Edible Sacramento, as well as technical journals, and is currently working on a coffee sustainability project in Central America.
Gary Paul Nabhan is an award-winning author, plant conservationist, and sustainable-agriculture advocate. His collaborative work in agricultural conservation has been honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Quivira Coalition and the Society for Conservation Biology, and with the Vavilov Medal. A pioneer in the heirloom seed movement, he raises rare chile peppers and Mission-era orchard crops in Patagonia, Arizona.
The two reviewers we have for this chile book are fellow chile pepper author Michael Hultquist aka Mike from Madness, and the one and only Scott Roberts. I do not think you will find 2 more diverse opinions than in these two reviews. Wow. See what I am talking about…
Mike from Madness
Scott Roberts
Chasing Chiles: Hot Spots Along the Pepper Trail
by Author's Kurt Friese, Kraig Kraft, and Gray Nabhan
Email: ch***********@gm***.com
Facebook: CLICK ME
You can order Chasing Chiles with the convenience of online ordering while still supporting small, local, independent bookstores.
Order now through IndieBooks by clicking the image below:


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Oops, I did it again, which is not about Britney Spears singing something inane, but me singing, metaphorically speaking, having been interviewed once again by Palash R. Ghosh for the International Business Times, following up on the previous interview he did with me, which I blogged about recently under the heading of
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of TV News (remember?).
So, this next interview was published by IBT on November 19, and entitled Fox Vs. MSNBC: The Ideological Battle In Broadcast News. And you can click on the link and read it there, or stick around and read it here, either way's fine with me.
So ready or not, here we go with the interview:
So, this next interview was published by IBT on November 19, and entitled Fox Vs. MSNBC: The Ideological Battle In Broadcast News. And you can click on the link and read it there, or stick around and read it here, either way's fine with me.
So ready or not, here we go with the interview:
The latest presidential election between the victorious Democrat Barack Obama and losing Republican Mitt Romney, as well as the continued gridlock in Washington, D.C., underscore the extremely polarized state of politics in contemporary U.S.
Mass media, particularly cable news networks, feed into this scenario by frequently presenting biased -- and sometimes even inflammatory -- accounts of current events, in defiance of traditional journalistic standards and the concept of impartiality.
Like any other capitalist enterprise, mass media is primarily driven by a desire for profits and high ratings. Consequently, the age-old precepts of responsible journalism have dramatically eroded.
Conservatives think most of mass media exhibit a liberal bias, while liberals reject this assertion, claiming to the contrary that, as corporate entities, media adheres to right-wing ideologies.
The International Business Times spoke to an expert on broadcast media to sort out this complex phenomenon.
Dr. Lance Strate is professor of communication and media studies and director of the professional studies in new media program at Fordham University in New York City.
IB Times: Critics and detractors of cable's Fox News claim the network has a right-wing bias and serves as a kind of propaganda arm for the Republican Party. But could one not make the same accusations about MSNBC -- that it espouses a decidedly left-wing bias?
Strate: Rupert Murdoch, the right-wing media mogul, hired Republican political consultant Roger Ailes to create the Fox News Channel, and it was conceived and planned from the very beginning to present a highly conservative view of the world. MSNBC at first tried to take the non-ideological approach traditional to broadcast news operations but was unable to compete effectively with CNN's long-established reputation and Fox's combination of entertaining format and political focus.
So, in order to distinguish itself from its competition, MSNBC became the mirror image of Fox, trying to do for the left what Fox had done on behalf of the right.
Thus, the answer is yes, MSNBC has become infected by the bias virus and turned into the counterpart to Fox.
IB Times: Where does CNN fit into this ideological battleground?
Strate: CNN, in turn, uses this to bolster their image as the leading source of objective journalism on cable and could be considered the heir to CBS as the Tiffany Network in regard to news -- an image that is augmented by their strong involvement in international news.
Recent promotional spots during the election had them claiming to be on the side of citizens, rather than one party or the other. Of course, the right claims that CNN exhibits a liberal bias, albeit one more subtle than MSNBC, and the left claims that they are ideologically conservative in essentially upholding the status quo.
For example, in presenting the election as a horse race between Democrats and Republicans, and in all of the shouting matches between liberal and conservative spokespersons, where are the numerous other candidates and representatives from other parties, such as the Greens and Libertarians?
IB Times: When did the very notion of liberal media bias arise? Was it during Richard Nixon's administration or before that era?
Strate: It pretty much became a meme during the Nixon campaign, with his vice president, Spiro Agnew, complaining the loudest.
During Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency, the talk was mainly of the press, and newspapers tended to favor Republican candidates, which was one reason why Roosevelt resorted to the radio in the form of his famous Fireside Chats.
The shift from talking about the press to talking about the media came about during the '60s and was largely due to fact of television's newfound dominance in our culture and the influence of critic Marshall McLuhan in making the media part of popular discourse.
IB Times: On an episode of "All in the Family," Archie Bunker called Walter Cronkite a "pinko" and a "communist" (presumably due to Cronkite's opposition to the Vietnam War). But wasn't Cronkite widely admired and embraced by Middle America? Or was he also vilified by the right wing?
Strate: Known as "the most trusted man in America," Cronkite began reporting that the Vietnam War was not going well in 1968, and from the right's point of view, this was a betrayal almost as egregious as Jane Fonda's visit to Hanoi. For the majority, however, this was a turning point in popular opinion, a visible demonstration of Cronkite's honesty and courage, and the anti-war movement did not really take off until after this occurred.
Archie Bunker, and the kind of conservative views that he represented, was considered far on the fringe up until Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980. Cronkite retired in 1981 and therefore did not run into much of a conflict with the ascendency of conservative politics in America.
Interestingly, prior to the 1980 election, with Reagan perceived by many as an extremist and Carter as ineffectual, there was some talk of trying to get Cronkite to run for president, with polls showing that he had the potential to win such a campaign.
IB Times: What do you make of the fact that Fox News consistently attracts higher ratings than either MSNBC or CNN? Does this mean that there are a lot more conservatives in the U.S. than liberals or moderates despite Obama's reelection?
Strate: It does reflect the strength of the conservative movement over the last few decades and the willingness of the audience to at least put up with that perspective. It also follows the rise of conservative talk hosts on radio -- such as Rush Limbaugh -- who have proven to be extremely popular.
But more than anything, Fox News has embraced an entertaining format, and television is above all an entertainment medium. As author and critic Neil Postman put it, it is attention-centered, image-centered, emotion-centered, and Fox has come up with a successful combination of sensationalist reporting and political discussion that emphasizes dramatic confrontation, not to mention a stable of good-looking on-air personalities, and this has made it possible for them to attract and hold audiences better than their competitors.
Of course, their audiences are still pretty small compared to the major networks.
IB Times: In the recent presidential election, the New York Times endorsed Obama, while the New York Post and Daily News endorsed Romney. When a newspaper endorses a political candidate, are they not sacrificing their journalistic impartiality? What's the point of these endorsements? Do they have any influence on the electorate?
Strate: Endorsements by newspaper editors is a longstanding tradition in the press and goes back to the days of the partisan press of the 18th century, long before the rise of objectivity in journalism in the 19th century.
But keep in mind that for most of the history of the press in the U.S., cities typically had a number of different newspapers competing with one another. So the reach of each newspaper was limited and local rather than national, with many competing points of view.
This is quite different from a handful of television channels competing for a national audience. Newspapers never had the reach or power of television programming.
Moreover, in the papers, opinion was clearly segregated from objective reporting of the news and relegated to the op-ed pages, whereas on television clear boundaries of that sort simply do not exist. This is not to deny that different papers had different slants and their political allegiances could influence their coverage, but newspapers were also very responsive to their readership, being directly dependent on them, whereas television is more beholden to advertisers, with audiences being the "product" they sell to commercial interests.
Perhaps the bottom line is that newspaper editors, in endorsing a candidate, were expected to provide a reasoned explanation for their support, that it was not an automatic display of ideological allegiance, which is why newspaper endorsements actually meant something and carried some weight with their readers. They are not without influence today, although nowhere near as much as they had before television came into the picture.
IB Times: With regard to Fox and MSNBC, at two polar opposites of the ideological spectrum, what is behind their business model? Are they simply "preaching to the converted"? How can they increase their ratings and revenue if they stick to their respective ideologies?
Strate: To a large degree, yes, they are "preaching to the converted," and audiences generally seek out sources of news and opinion that are in line with their own prior values, beliefs and attitudes -- this is known as selective exposure.
As a business strategy, it parallels the political logic of campaigning to your base. You are creating a homogenous audience that is relatively stable in size and predictable in terms of its characteristics, and advertisers like that -- they like to know exactly what they're getting and exactly what they're paying for. Beyond that, the goal is to provide an entertaining programming option. If folks will tune in to Bill O'Reilly to see who he yells at, even if they agree with the victim and not O'Reilly, then Fox's programming strategy is working. And it has worked well for them, much better than MSNBC, although they are improving with the likes of Rachel Maddow. But is there any doubt that if they could steal them away from Comedy Central, MSNBC would be happy to run "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" on their network?
IB Times: Was U.S. political debate always as polarized as it appears to be now? Or is this something new?
Strate: We were even more polarized in the period immediately preceding the Civil War.
What is strange about our time is that there is this extreme polarization between candidates and, to some extent on values, but it seems to be a divide based on emotional responses, not rational evaluation of the issues. Say what you want about it, slavery was one hell of an issue, there were rational explanations and motivations on both sides of the divide, and everyone knew exactly what the conflict was about and what was at stake.
In this last election, there was little in the way of rational debate on economic issues, health care or foreign policy, and the differences between the two candidates were hardly clear at all. I think it all came down to which candidate voters felt to be most like them in style and tone and, yes, appearance and not whose thinking, ideas and ideals best matched their supporters and their interests.
IB Times: Are on-air personalities at Fox and MSNBC selected primarily for their political views?
Strate: They have to be willing to toe the party line, so to speak. Beyond that, on-air personalities everywhere are selected based on appearance and personality, how well they come across on television.
IB Times: During the Cronkite-Murrow-Huntley/Brinkley days, did the network executives and advertisers pressure the news departments to slant controversial news topics, like McCarthy's communist witch hunt, the civil rights movement and Vietnam War?
Strate: There were pressures from network executives and advertisers, absolutely, but there also were courageous individuals leading network news divisions whose allegiance was to the ideal of journalistic objectivity and public service, backed by FCC requirements for devoting some of their time on-air to the public interest, a notable example being Fred Friendly, who worked with Edward R. Murrow and helped to put an end to McCarthy and his "red scare."
But television came to be characterized as the timid giant, because executives became frightened to death of controversy, of offending any segment of their vast audience, and, therefore, sought out the least objectionable content (which fits nicely with detached, objective reporting).
The deregulation of broadcasting under the Reagan administration allowed executives to break down the ivory tower of broadcast journalism and place increasingly more emphasis on getting good ratings and, therefore, on creating entertaining programming.
And cable is almost entirely free from the oversight that broadcasting requires, so not only news but all sorts of nonfiction programming from National Geographic, Discovery, Learning and the like become outlets for various kinds of nonsense, distortion or disregard for facts, pandering, and the trivialization of important issues and concerns.
IB Times: ABC, CBS and NBC news have all seen their ratings eroding for years -- I assume cable TV and the Internet is responsible for this. What can they do to stop their declining numbers of viewers?
Strate: There isn't much they can do about it. Most viewers today were long accustomed to watching nightly network news programs and continue to do so -- just as many have been in the habit of reading a daily newspaper.
But younger generations do not share these habits. And where once it was an absolute requirement that a network provide a certain amount of news programming, it is now entirely possible that one of the major networks may simply decide that they no longer want to do the news, which was never profitable for them, always a loss leader, or perhaps they might decide to outsource their news coverage to a cable news source.
But the era of the Big Three broadcast news divisions is over. We're seeing a return to a new, audiovisual version of the partisan press and to a wide variety of news sources online via blogs, Twitter, YouTube, sites from established news organizations domestic and foreign, sites like Wikileaks and human and algorithmic aggregators. This may be good in some ways, bad in other ways, and certainly suggests major changes in the ways in which campaigns are conducted and governments operate.


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The Royal Hellenic Navy |
The Greek Navy was consisted of 1 old battleship (built in 1940, disarmed and turned to training duties in 1932), 1 minelayer, 10 destroyers and 6 submarines when Greece entered the war. The Greek Navy participated in a lot of operations in the Mediterranean and also in some convoys in the Atlantic Sea. The Greek merchant navy also contributed a lot during WWII.
The Greek vessels had big successes during whole war, fought bravely and contributed a lot in that war. The Greek Navy sank 2 Italian subs (the Uarsciek was captured by Greek and British destroyers on 15 Dec, 1942 in the Mediterranean but sank while in tow and the Neghelli) and 1 U-boat.
Read more about the Royal Hellenic Navy here.
Ships of the Royal Hellenic Navy
Torpedo boats (13)
Destroyers (12)
Minesweepers (9)
Submarines (9)
Minelayers (8)
Escort destroyers (8)
Motor Launchs (5)
Corvettes (4)
Harbour Defence Motor Launchs (3)
Coastal defence ships (2)
Patrol craft (1)
Armoured cruiser (1)
Minelaying cruiser (1)
76 warships of 13 types.
War losses
According to our files the Royal Hellenic Navy lost 26 warships during WWII (34.21%). See them all here.


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Learning from books feeds our brains. Experience builds skills and expertise. Effective coaching shapes and drives the way we work and see the world. And then there is that wonderful, elusive sort of mentoring that leaves an indelible imprint on the soul. Here are the stories of two people who have provided me with the sort of coaching that leaves an indelible imprint on the soul, and a powerful impact on my life.
Maggie was a tiny fireball, a real force of nature. She started a national movement after she retired from the Presbyterian Church, which she called forced termination from employment due to age. A number of us lived in shared housing with her in Philadelphia, and often worked with her on different projects. A savvy optimist with no rose-colored glasses, she would often say: "When you're working on something important, you never let roadblocks deter you from your goal. If there's a rock in the road, move it, go around it, or over it. And, if nothing else works, then tunnel under it." And she did. In her old age, she was elected to the National Giraffe Heroes Project for sticking neck out, a commendation which was always a badge of honor for her.
Maggie led by example, demonstrating a model of passion, persistence and power. Whenever she would meet people after speaking engagements or workshops, she would ask them about what they were doing, show them why their work was important, and encourage them. People would walk away from those conversations excited and empowered, because Maggie had validated them, and told them their work had impact and value. She was very supportive to people working to make a positive difference in the world – and a well-researched, dramatic critic of those she found to be creating harm. When she died, a major national newspaper wrote that Maggie had no children. The newspaper was corrected by her friend and foundation executive who said "Maggie had thousands of children she nurtured over the years, spread across the country and the world."
Michael is a retired publishing executive who has built many large publishing businesses over the years. An extremely successful businessman, he is surprisingly humble and self-deprecating about his many achievements. Even when he has been quite busy, Michael has always found the time to focus on his friends and colleagues with undivided attention. In talking with him, you feel like he has all the time in the world for you. He listens in such a way that, when he responds to you, it is with a very deep level of understanding.
Gentle with his suggestions and advice, Michael would share about strategies he had used that were successful without saying "you should do it this way." He lets you figure out the connection between the strategies he used to successfully surmount challenges, and your own situation. When he suggests something, it is with grace and tact. Michael often says, "well, I'm sure you've already thought of this, and I was thinking… " He would go on to describe an idea or solution that you hadn't considered at all.
Michael has also been tireless in his giving to those in need, serving on many boards, and becoming involved in supporting and funding a wide range of community economic development projects. Some of our most well-known social enterprise and economic development nonprofits have grown under his tutelage. Almost always, he leverages both his volunteering and his philanthropy by involving others, and he's engaged an untold number over the years. By doing so, he has shown many people new and exciting ways to make a difference in the world while building his base of support for those causes most dear to his heart.
Why This is Coaching That Leaves an Indelible Imprint on the Soul
Over the years, these two coaches became dear friends, and part of my "family of choice," as Maggie so aptly termed it. Michael and I still talk on a regular basis, now more as peers who share about our lives, our work, our spiritual practice and those causes that are our passions. And though she is long gone, Maggie's legacy can still be seen everywhere, and I often consider what she might say about an issue I find challenging. Modelling skills and strategies helpful to my professional development, they served as powerful coaches and examples. They have demonstrated purposeful and value-driven lives. Lives that make a difference in the world. And they have left an indelible imprint on my soul.


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Though Arizona may be working to reach a higher standard of sustainability, a myriad of environmental legal issues will be seen as these changes are implemented. Arizona Business Magazine spoke with the state's top law firms and industry experts to find out the most important environmental legal issues the state can expect to face in the next decade.
Particulate Matter-10
Attorney Megan Lennox of Bryan Cave LLP says, "The single biggest environmental legal issue Arizona will be facing for the foreseeable future is the regulation, implementation and enforcement of regulations concerning Particulate Matter-10, also referred to as PM-10, which is essentially "dust."'
According to an Aug. 25, 2011, press release by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality stressing a high pollution advisory: "State and county agencies measure PM-10 and PM-2.5 which are extremely small solid particles and liquid droplets found circulating in the air. PM, or particulate matter, comes from either combustion (cars, industry, woodburning) or dust stirred up into the air. High levels of PM are typically created when the air is especially stagnant or especially windy. PM-10 stands for particulate matter measuring 10 microns or less. PM-2.5 stands for particulate matter measuring 2.5 microns or less. To put this in perspective, one strand of human hair is 70-100 microns in size."
"Over the summer, we saw a number of High Pollution Advisory (HPA) warnings issued by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) relating to PM-10, particularly in connection with the haboobs (dust storms) we've been having in the Valley this summer," Lennox says. "But what is not as commonly known is that, even without a haboob, Arizonans face real health threats caused by common everyday dust generating activities.
"Indeed, the EPA has not been satisfied with what the Arizona has done in the way of dust control thus far, and because Arizona continues to exceed federal air quality standards for PM-10, we are now facing a very real possibility that the EPA will push the Arizona regulators aside and step in with their own plan to reduce PM-10.
"The real issue of concern is that, if the EPA is required to step in, Arizona will stand to lose over a billion dollars in federal highway funds," Lennox says. "This translates to further loss of jobs, no new transportation projects, and likely intense regulation and economic impact to the construction industry — all of which will be decidedly detrimental to Arizona's economy overall."
Lennox says that Arizonans must prepare and prevent this from happening by doing their part, which includes refraining from leaf blowers, no fires in the fireplace, driving down dusty roads and joining forces with regulators "toward the common goal of reduction of PM-10 and maintenance of federal funding – both of which, everyone should be able to agree, are critical for the long-term health and prosperity of the Valley."
Michelle De Blasi, partner at Quarles & Brady agrees: "Serious nonattainment areas must demonstrate PM-10 emission reductions of five percent per year until the standard is attained. The state and local governments have instituted many measures to make these reductions. To reach attainment, three years of clean data are needed at all PM-10 monitors… The state and local governments have instituted many proactive control measures to try to limit excesses at the monitors caused by dust."
Utility Deregulation
As the state continues to develop renewable energy, several legal issues can arise. Court Rich, an attorney at Rose Law Group states that: "As renewable energy prices come down its implementation will grow quicker. At some point the technology involved in distributed roof top solar energy is going to allow people not only to produce energy during the day but to store energy for power at night."
If people are able to produce the energy they need, should they pay a utility company for its electricity service? These are the types of questions Arizona may face as renewable energy production grows.
"The State has previously looked into forms of utility deregulation…(and) could review forms of deregulation that may set up a better environment for future competition among energy providers ultimately providing lower cost electricity to all Arizonans and providing greater choices to the consumer," Rich adds.
Balancing environmental protections with economic impacts
"Implementing more protective environmental regulations must be balanced with their economic impacts," says Matt Bingham, attorney at Lewis and Roca.
Sometimes, small improvements that can be made come at a significant cost and may not be worthwhile for the state to pursue.
"(Government) agencies have accomplished A LOT since environmental laws were first enacted," says Bingham, "but at some point, the costs of making further improvement are going to outweigh the benefits. Agencies need to adequately consider industry's concerns when developing stricter environmental standards to ensure that the benefits outweigh the costs. Failing to do so will prolong Arizona's economic recovery."
Growth of renewable energy
"In Arizona, regulated utilities are expected to get 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025 (in 2011, the goal is 3 percent)," says Bingham, attorney at Lewis and Roca. "This will require a massive expansion of our renewable energy capabilities over the next 10-15 years."
As Arizona tries to catch up on renewable energy growth compared with some of its sustainability-driven neighboring states, many environmental impacts will need to be addressed. These include land use, water use, and effects on wildlife, endangered species and several others.
"The growth of renewable energy in the state also involves policy choices by the legislature and the Arizona Corporation Commission," says Bingham.
Some examples:
➢ Requiring utilities to procure renewable energy.
➢ Increasing demand for solar by providing incentives.
➢ Providing tax incentives for companies who locate manufacturing and other facilities in the state and create jobs.
Arizona has essentially decided that it wants to be a hub of the growing solar industry and has made some good moves in that direction but it needs to continue pursuing an effective, comprehensively designed strategy while assuring companies that this support will not fade," Bingham adds.
Enforcement of regulatory policies:
Since 61 percent of land in Arizona is either managed or controlled by federal agencies, many policies involving land use have a disproportionate impact upon our state, says Jeff Littell, principal geologist at Brown & Caldwell.
"By far, the greatest environmental issues facing Arizona will arise from federal agencies and their imbalanced enforcement of existing regulatory policies or the increased promulgation of new rules and regulations," Littell says.
The state should apply balanced and measured responses to difficult environmental issues while empowering state agencies and the Legislature to defend Arizona against misapplied federal actions, Littell adds. "The results of their interaction with county and state agencies will have a profound impact on the long term success of Arizona, the diversity of our economy, and our ability to emerge from the current economic situation."
For more information about environmental legal issues and other environmental issues, visit www.valleyforward.org.
Arizona Business Magazine November/December 2011